


Fractured Soul

by Horrordudeify



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Because I hate time travel, Crimson Flower, F/F, Identity Issues, Memory Loss, More tags to be added, Multiple Personalities, No Divine Pulse, Post-Time Skip, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:54:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Horrordudeify/pseuds/Horrordudeify
Summary: After the battle of Garreg Mach, Byleth wakes up on the other end of Fodlan.  With no memory of who she is or how she got there.  Plagued by broken memories, some of which may not even be hers, she must try to pick up the pieces of her past in a world consumed by war.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 14
Kudos: 52





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first serious fic! I've been working on this baby for months! I hope you enjoy.

“Hey, how long do you intend to sleep?”

“What?”

“You have rested long enough, the time has come for you to stand on those legs of yours”

“Fuck off, I'm still sleepy”

“Have you not changed one bit? Get off your ass! I will coddle you no more!”

The strange, childish voice gave way to a blinding, green light. It glowed brighter and brighter until it was finally snuffed out by a torrent of water. It swept the woman away before she could react. Panic overtook her as the water dragged her further and further away from that odd, soothing warmth she had felt just moments ago. She tried to swim but the current was far too powerful. Her lungs burned as she lashed out to grab something, anything to stop herself from drowning. Finally she slammed into something. She desperately grabbed onto it only for it to wiggle out of her hands. Confusion set in briefly before the strange mass wrapped around her and began to rise. Finally, it broke the surface of the water. She gasped, taking in a huge breath before retching as her body expelled all the water she had taken in. She looked around, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

Fish... 

She was in a net, surrounded by fish. 

As she blinked away the black spots in her vision, her eyes settled on a young, confused looking boy.

“Ma! Pa!” He cried out. “I caught a mermaid!” 

A large, gruff looking man appeared by his side, his eyes wide.

“That's not a mermaid, you dullard, that's a woman.” He said, scratching his head.

“Mary!” He yelled. “Go and get some blankets.” He turns to the kid. “And you boy, help me get her down!”

The two quickly set to work. Hauling the net onto dry land and untying the knots holding it together. The net finally gave, dropping the women on top of a pile of fish. She slowly stood on wobbly legs, trying not to slip on the fish that were flopping everywhere. She quickly took inventory of herself, finding her clothes and armor mostly intact, if a little soaked… and smelly. A cold wind cut straight through her, her teeth chattered as she wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.

“Don’t just stand there!” A woman called out as she rushed over to wrap a heavy woolen blanket around their unexpected guest. This must be Mary.

“Are you ok dear? What happened to you? Oh never mind let's get you inside.” She said, rushing the woman into a nearby cabin. Mary guided her to a bed before she swiftly moved to add fuel to a fireplace and put on a pot of tea. In a flash of motion she twirled around, producing a first aid kit out of seemingly nowhere, and moved to tend to the women.

“How are you feeling dear?” she said, examining her, but failing to find any wounds.

“A little tired.” The woman responded, completely deadpan.

“Tired?” She shrieked. “We pulled you out of a raging river full of fish and you're just tired?” She let out an exasperated sigh before continuing “Does anything hurt?”

“My stomach hurts a little, I think I'm hungry” 

Mary gawked for a moment before sighing again. “Well we’ve caught plenty of fish. Let me fix you some tea to warm you up.” She stood, placing the unused kit on the nightstand and rushing over to the fireplace before she swiftly returned with a steaming cup of tea. 

‘Gods, she is quick.’ The woman thought.

She handed the tea to her guest before she turned around to face the door. As if on cue, the man and the young boy walk in.

“How's our guest?” The man asked.

“She seems ok, are the fish taken care of?”

“Yes they are, we should probably...”

“Go start preparing dinner” She cut him off. “I need to check her for head injuries, she doesn't seem all there.”

“I’m alright.” The strange woman chimed in. “I’m just tired”

Mary huffed in annoyance “Don't go sleeping on me yet. I don't want you slipping into a coma on my watch.” She pulled up a chair and took a seat before continuing. “What is your name dear?”

_Byleth_

_Sothis_

The woman went deathly still, and her eyes went wide as memories flashed through her head. A valley soaked in blood, a massacre led by a barbarian, a silver haired maiden clad in red, a white dragon looking down at her as rocks plunge her world into darkness. She heard a distant, soothing voice drawing her back to reality.

“Look at me.” The voice said “Take deep breaths.”

She complied. Taking slow, shaky breaths until the dark edges around her vision recede and color returned to the room. She noticed Mary’s hands over her own, attempting to still the trembling that threatened to spill hot tea onto the floor. Slowly, she released her death grip on the cup, barely even noticing the burns that formed on her hands. Mary helped her place the cup down and inspected her hands.

“Oh goddess, you poor girl” She said, before closing her eyes and muttering an incantation. As she did this a white light engulfed the woman’s hands. The burns disappeared as if they had never been there to begin with.

“Now focus, can you tell me your name?” Mary asked.

“I …” The woman paused, attempting to sort through the images in her head. When she attempted to remember her name again, those same two names flashed through her mind.

_Byleth_

_Sothis_

“I don't know.” She whispered. Memories raced through her mind once more. Events, faces, locations, but they were so fragmented that she couldn’t make sense of them. They all seemed so real, yet they seemed distant, like they didn’t belong. Yet above it all was this overwhelming feeling that she needed to leave. That there was somewhere that she needed to be. A feeling of dread settled in her chest, like a knot that was being pulled tighter and tighter. She had failed to be there for someone dear to her, but she could not remember who that person was. Despair threatened to consume her. Mary attempted to soothe her but it was too late. Her world began to spin, and with an unceremonious thud, sleep claimed her once more.

* * *

“HEY KID WAKE UP.” A distant, masculine voice yelled.

“Don’t yell honey, and stop shaking her.” A feminin voice, Mary, scolded.

“Hold on I think she’s waking up.” The man responded

“What?” The groggy woman muttered.

“Come on dear, I need you to wake up.” 

The woman opened her eyes to see two people staring down at her. Mary, wearing a deeply concerned look, and the man looking rather smug as he successfully wakes the unconscious girl.

“What happened?” The girl asked.

“You just went and blacked out on us.” The man answered. “So anyway what is your na..”

“FREDRICK!” Mary shrieked as she covered the man’s mouth. “Go and finish cooking dinner before I rip your tongue from your skull!”

Fredrick nodded in response. Slowly, Mary lowers her hand to reveal that same smug smile from before. Without a word, he turned around and walked away. After he left, she turned around, sighed, and looked at the woman with concern plain on her face.

“How are you feeling now dear?” She asked

The smell of baked fish hit the woman’s senses and an audible rumble rose from her stomach.

_Food_

“I’m really hungry.” She said.

Mary shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose while taking a deep breath before speaking.

“Very well.” She said, sounding defeated. “Dinner is just about ready, but after we eat we need to discuss just how you ended up here.”

“Where is ‘here’ exactly?” The woman asked.

“One thing at a time dear. I don't want you to have another episode.” Mary responded.

Mary hushed any further protest as she helped the woman stand and led her to the dinner table. It was only then that the woman finally got a good look around the cabin. It consisted of a single, large room complete with beds, a dinner table, and fireplace next to a small kitchen area. It looked barely large enough for the family of three that lived here. The woman began to feel kinda bad for intruding on such a small space, but all coherent thought left her mind the moment she laid eyes on the table. Laying out before her was a simple meal consisting of baked haddock and roasted root vegetables, but to the woman it might as well have been a noble feast. Mary barely had time to finish showing the woman her seat before she dug in. She ate with all the grace and ferocity of a starving lion. Barely stopping for breaths as she shoveled food into her mouth. As she finished her last bite of fish she looked up to thank her hosts. Only to pause as she saw the bewildered expressions on all of their faces.

“You have quite the appetite lass.” Fredrick said, still gawking.

“Oh, sorry.” The woman responded as she wiped food from her mouth.

“That's quite alright dear, I'm sure you were starving.” Mary said, stifling a laugh.

The boy simply started to giggle.

“Hush now David.” Mary scolded, before turning to speak to the woman. “Now that you’ve had your fill, do you think you're ready to answer a few questions for me?”

“Yes, I think I’m ready”

“Ok dear, just tell me if you begin to feel distressed again”

“Ok”

“Alright, so how did you end up in the river?”

“I don’t know”

“Ok, that’s not good. Do you remember anything from before we found you?”

She freezes as the whirlwind of images threaten to return, but she manages to keep them at bay.

“I have some memories, but they don’t make any sense, and they hurt to think about”

“Are you sure she didn’t hit her head.” Fredrick butted in.

“Yes I’m sure, she only had a few bumps and bruises, now let me finish.” Mary scolded. She took a deep breath before continuing. “Ok, do you remember what you did for a living?”

“Um” she paused for a second, looking at her armored gauntlets. “A soldier I think, a mercenary?”

“Really now? Well that's good that you remember something. Do you remember who you worked for?”

“No”

“Ok, I guess we will move on then. Now for the big one, do you remember your name?”

“I…. don’t….. I don’t remember my own name” She said, pausing to take a deep breath to keep the panic at bay.

“It's ok dear, amnesia like this is usually temporary. Come on, we should get you cleaned up, you smell like fish.”

Mary got up to grab some spare clothes and prepare a bath for the woman, leaving her with Fredrick and David.

“Well we gotta call you something, don’t have any names floating around in that head of yours?” Fredrick asked.

The woman thought for a moment. She was certain some names came up before, but now she couldn’t remember anything.

“No.” She finally said, “I got nothing.”

“Well we can’t just call you ‘girl’ or ‘dear’. How about we give you a temporary name, until you remember your real one.” He said. He stopped to think for a moment before suddenly snapping his fingers, looking as if he had an epiphany. “I got it! How does Freya sound to you?”

The woman thought for a moment. It was a pretty name, and it sounded as right as any other.

“Sure, call me Freya” She said with a small smile.

“FREDRICK!” Mary yelled as she re-entered the room. “DID YOU JUST GIVE HER A FAKE NAME?”

“Well yes I…”

“DO YOU…” She paused, taking a deep breath before continuing to speak in a harsh whisper that the woman could still clearly hear. “Do you have any idea how much damage that could do? We need to help her remember her name, not replace it!”

She spins around to face the woman, her scowl quickly being replaced with a warm smile. “Please try and forget whatever name he gave you.”

“Freya” The woman said, deadpanned.

“Yes that.” She said with another sigh. “The bath is ready dear, let's get you cleaned up.” She motioned for the woman to follow and she led her into the bathroom. “I hope you don’t mind but I would like to stay here in case you pass out again.”

“Oh that’s fine.” The woman said as she whipped off her shirt revealing the scars and muscle underneath. Mary sputtered before quickly composing herself. The woman noticed but decided to ignore it as she finished stripping and lowered herself into the bathtub. She melted into the bath as the hot water soothed her aching muscles. She relaxed for a moment before a question popped up in her mind.

“Hey where exactly am I?”

“We are right outside of Oren’s Well. It’s a small fishing village in Edmund territory.” Mary answered.

“Edmund? You mean in the Alliance?” The woman asked, looking confused.

“Well at least you remember geography. Yes you are in the Alliance, does that sound right to you.” Mary asked with a quirk of her brow.

“No it doesn’t, but i'm not sure what would sound right. I'm definitely from Fodlan, but I don’t remember living in one particular place. Maybe I used to travel?.”

“A traveling sellsword huh? Well when you recover you can ask around and start retracing your steps. Maybe someone hired you and the job went poorly, we have been having some trouble with bandits recently, but Margrave Edmund has been far too busy with the war to give a crap about our backwater village.”

“War? What war?” The woman asked, surprised.

Mary silently cursed herself for letting too much information slip, she didn’t want to give the poor girl another panic attack. “The war between the Empire and the Church of Seiros. It’s been going on for over 4 years now.”

Images of a white dragon and falling debris flash before her eyes. The thing was screaming something about her mother.

_About you._

She shook her head and banished those thoughts before they overtook her again. She decided instead to focus on cleaning herself. She was almost finished scrubbing her body when she noticed something bright green at the corner of her vision. She turned to look at it and found it floating in the water. It was hair, her hair. She suddenly stood and climbed out of the tub, startling Mary who rushed to make sure that she was ok.

“Where is the mirror?” The woman asked, panic seeping into her voice.

“It's over there, what's wrong dear?”

The woman said nothing as she rushed over to look into the mirror, only to find a stranger staring back at her. Emerald eyes looked back in shock as they scanned the stranger’s odd features. Long green hair that matched her eyes flowed down to her shoulders. She reached up to move some of the hair out of her face, only to reveal another odd feature. Her ears. They were pointed.

‘That's not right.’ She thought. ‘None of this is right.’

“Is everything ok dear?” Mary asked as she wrapped a towel around the woman.

“No it isn’t. Mary I don’t recognize myself.” The woman said.

Her breathing became heavy as panic began to overtake her once again. Her world started to spin. She tried to remember what she looked like before, but once again she drew a blank. She just knew that this was wrong. The woman grabbed onto a counter to steady herself. A splitting headache threatened to knock her unconscious again as more voices and images flooded her mind.

_You are Sothis, the beginning._

_You are Byleth, the mercenary._

“No, no, no.” She started to whimper.

“Hey talk to me, what’s happening?” Mary asked

The woman didn’t hear her as she became lost in her own mind. She remembered a battle. A massive white dragon looming over her.

_Your daughter, the girl you raised_

_Your enemy, the woman who tried to use you_

She remembered a woman by her side. Brilliant platinum hair was the only feature that she could make out. Everything else was blurry.

_Your student, the woman you cared for._

_The woman who betrayed you._

_The woman you swore to protect._

It didn’t make sense. She knew that she shouldn’t have both.

Then the emotions came. Motherly love and bitter hatred were directed at the dragon in equal measure. And when she looked at the woman she felt a mixture of adoration and hurt. The emotions were powerful yet she had no memories tied to them. She was engulfed in a storm of fragmented memories. She grasped onto any piece she could find. Yet everything she found was incomplete and contradictory. The storm grew louder and louder as her headache grew worse, and worse. Until it threatened to tear her soul apart. And then, it stopped. She looked up only to be somewhere else. She examined her new surroundings. She was on a stone platform, hovering over an infinite void. The only feature on the platform was a grand staircase leading up to an empty, stone throne. The throne, however, was barely recognizable. It was split in two. A massive fracture snaked its way from the seat down to the stairs. Several smaller cracks snaked down the sides. The woman sat there, wondering what could have caused such damage until she was interrupted by a noise coming from behind her. She turned around to see the storm that she had just crawled out of. It howled and churned. She could hear it whispering to her.

_Byleth_

_Sothis_

“NO!” She screamed as she backed away. Tendrils lashed out of the storm, wrapping themselves around her legs and dragging her towards it.

_Byleth_

_Sothis_

“I don’t know those people!” She screamed again, struggling against the tendrils.

_Byleth_

_Sothis_

“My name is Freya!”

Suddenly the tendrils disappeared and the whispers stopped. The woman looked up to see the storm looming over her, but not moving any closer. She closed her eyes. She focused on the few memories that still clung to her, and pushed them down. When she did the storm receded. The howling tempest being reduced to a distant rumble. The woman sighed in relief, before curling up into herself. She lied there alone on that stone platform, sobbing as she mourned the pieces of herself that she had lost. Eventually the tears dried, and she sat up, wiping her eyes.

“Freya.” She said, letting out a humorless chuckle. “Sure, that sounds like a good name.”

Exhaustion set in. She didn’t feel like fighting it, so she lied down on the stone floor and shut her eyes. It wasn’t long before sleep took her once again.


	2. Chapter 2

Freya felt a soft pillow underneath her head. A welcome change from the stone floor she passed out on. She cracked her eyes open to see a young boy staring down at her. The boy stood there for a moment, staring wide eyed, before bolting out the door.

“Ma, she’s awake!” He shouted.

Freya sat up on the bed and stretched. She looked at herself and noticed that she was wearing the clothes that Mary picked out for her. A long sleeve black shirt, and a pair of brown pants, both of them loosely fitting. ‘Did Mary dress me?’ she thought as she pondered last night's events. Everything was a blur. She remembered a storm, and some sort of throne room, but everything else seemed to slip away.

‘Freya’ she thought. ‘That’s right, my name is Freya, and I am a mercenary.’

The whispers returned, but she swiftly shoved them down. She didn’t want to lose herself again. Mary entered the room, distracting Freya from her thoughts.

“You're awake!” she said, taking a seat by the bed and grabbing Freya’s hands. “You passed out in the bathroom. You were tossing around and muttering to yourself all night. You gave us all quite a scare. How are you feeling?” She asked, so quickly that Freya’s head started to spin.

“I feel fine, kinda great, actually.” Freya answered, to Mary’s shock.

“Well that’s wonderful! Come on, let's get you some breakfast.” Mary got up and walked Freya over to the kitchen area. “I hope you’re ok with eggs, biscuits, and jelly because that’s all we have.”

“That sounds amazing.” Freya said, suddenly feeling starving.

Mary happily hummed as she got to work preparing breakfast. Freya sat at the table. Tapping her hands on her knees as she waited. She took the time to look at the blond haired woman for what felt like the first time, the haze in her mind finally clearing enough for her to feel present. She was tall and solidly built, fitting for a fisherman. But Freya also remembered the healing magic that she used last night.

“Who are you?” Freya asked, rather abruptly.

Mary smiled. “I am Mary Carpenter. Me and my husband, Fredrick, run a little fishery here in Orens Well. Though we are quite a ways from town.”

“Most fishermen don’t know healing magic.” Freya said, flatly.  
“No, they don’t.” Mary responded, with an edge to her voice. “Lets just say I have a good reason to be out in the middle of nowhere catching fish.”

“Ok, I can respect that. I’m sorry for prying.”

Mary gave a genuine smile. “That's alright dear, it's only natural to be suspicious. But enough about my past, let's see if we can’t recover yours. Did you remember anything interesting last night?.” She asked, as she placed a plate of food on the table.

Freya perked up. “Yes, I did remember something. My name is Freya.” She said, with full confidence.

Mary frowned. “No dear, that's the name that Fredrick…”

“Please.” Freya cut her off. Her hands were gripping the table and her eyes were unfocused. “My name is Freya.” She repeated.

Nodded and gently sat down, hoping not to spook the fragile looking woman. “Ok, we will call you Freya.” She said.

Freya nodded, seeming to return to normal, and started to eat her food. “You said Orens Well. Where is that exactly?” She asked, trying to change the subject.

“In Edmund territory.” Mary responded.

“Edmund? You mean in the Alliance?” Freya asked between bites.

Mary’s smile grew as she clapped her hands together. “Yes that’s right! So you remember geography!”

“I suppose I do.” Freya said.

Freya took a moment to eat her food, enjoying the silence as she tried to collect her thoughts. Once she finished her plate she remembered the borrowed clothes that she was wearing.

“Where are my clothes?” Freya asked.

“They are outside, drying. I cleaned them this morning. Though we should find you a jacket or something. It may be spring, but it's too cold out to be wearing what we found you in.” Mary answered.

“Spring? What’s the date today?” Freya asked.

“It's the first of the Guardian Tree Moon, 1184.” Mary answered, curious to see how Freya would react to this information.

Freya seemed only mildly confused, prompting Mary to press on. “Does that sound right to you?” she asked.

“Not really, but I’m not sure what would be.” Freya said, shrugging and returning to her food.

Mary found this very interesting, the girl didn’t even know what year it was, nor did she have any memory of the war. Which led her to her next question. “Do you know anything about the war?” She asked.

Freya took a moment to think. She remembered fighting… Something. But that was it. “You said it was between the Empire and the Church of Sieros right?”

“Yes that's right.” Mary said.

“Well it's not like the church is free from sin, I suppose someone finally noticed.” Freya said before freezing. Wait. She had remembered something, and this time no voices came to correct her. She looked up, seeing Mary’s shock. ‘Oh no’ she thought, remembering how the church delivered harsh justice to those who spoke out against them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend.” Freya stammered out.

“No offence taken.” Mary said, recovering from her shock. “What you said is entirely true, just be careful where you share such things.”

Freya let out a sigh of relief. But her recent thoughts still plagued her. Why had she said that? Why did she remember those details about the church, but not her own name? She was so certain when she spoke of the church’s sins. But what ‘sins’ was she referring to. Yes, punishing those who criticized them was shitty. But there was something more. She knew it, but she couldn’t remember it. She tried to search her memories for the answers but was once again met with incoherent whispers and images. She clamped her hands on her head to try and quiet them.

Mary moved to Freya’s side and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey.” She said. “Stay with me.”

That was enough to snap Freya out of it. “Sorry.” Was all she said.

“Don’t be.” Mary said softly, deciding that she had pushed Freya enough. “You wait there. I’m going to go get your clothes.”

Mary rushed out of the house, only to return less than a minute later with Freya’s clothes and armor. “Head into the bathroom to change, and then we will talk about what you should do next.” Mary said.

Freya nodded and slipped into the bathroom. She threw on her outfit. Undershirt, breastplate, gauntlets, tights, shorts, and leg guards all went on with practiced ease. Though the final piece, a collar and tassel, looked very out of place without a jacket or something. Freya finally fastened her dagger to her belt before looking at herself in the mirror. The moment her eye locked with the emerald orbs of the stranger in the mirror, she looked away. The sight made her deeply uncomfortable. It felt as if her head was splitting in two once again.

This is right

This is wrong

Freya focused to silence the whispers, before stepping out of the bathroom. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and the mirror as possible.

“I’m not sure how you fight in that. Here, take this.” Mary said as she tossed a bundle of cloth into Freya’s arms.

Freya unfurled the heavy fabric. It was a traveler’s cloak. She draped the thing over her shoulders and fastened it around her neck. The familiar weight on her shoulders felt comforting, but not quite right. She shrugged, deciding that she should probably get used to that feeling.

“There you go! You're looking better already.” Mary said, before turning to grab a tray full of food. “I need to take lunch out to the boys. Are you up for a walk?”

Freya nodded. “Yes that sounds nice.”

She followed Mary out the door, and was greeted by a beautiful spring morning . The sun was shining brightly overhead and a cool breeze blew gently through the trees of the surrounding woods. It felt incredible. As if this was the first time she had breathed fresh air in ages. It took everything she had in her not to stop and bask in the sunlight, but she didn’t want to worry Mary any more than she already had. They joined Fredrick and David at the docks.

“It's good to see you up and about, girl.” The large red headed man said as he took his food from Mary.

“Thank you.” Freya said. She shuffled her feat awkwardly. She was not sure what to do next.  
Mary noticed this and motioned to the edge of the pier. “Why don’t we sit here and talk for a bit? We can figure out what to do next.” She said.

Freya nodded and silently took a seat next to Mary. They both stared out at the river for a bit. Enjoying the calming sound of running water. Instinctively, Freya reached for a fishing rod.

"Oh." Mary said. "Would you like to do some fishing? There's bait right here." She motioned to a bucket full of wriggling earthworms.

Freya nodded before she fished out a worm, skewered it on the hook, and cast the line into the river with the skill of a practiced fisherman. Behind her, Fredrick cocked an eyebrow before nodding in approval. Mary rolled her eyes at Fredrick before she spoke.

“So, how are we going to start retracing your steps?” Mary asked.

Freya paused for a long moment, considering her options. “You pulled me out of the river. Maybe I should travel upstream?”

“Maybe.” Mary said. “But I don’t think you will find anything up there. It's all woods for miles, too dense for any mercenary company to travel through. And if you were traveling with a company, they should have come looking for you by now.”

“Maybe they just assumed you died and moved on.” Fredrick yelled from across the dock.

“Not helping!” Mary yelled back.

Fredrick responded with a hearty laugh, echoed by David’s childish giggle. Freya smirked at their antics, but was a bit worried by their words. Had her company simply abandoned her? Was she traveling with a company at all? Where would she even look to find a group of people when she wasn’t even sure if they existed?

A light tug on her pole shook her from her thoughts. On pure instinct, she yanked it back and began reeling it in. Soon the fish emerged, and freya quickly deposited it into a bucket before grabbing another worm and casting her line again.

“The nearby town then? Maybe someone spotted a company of mercenaries traveling nearby?” Freya asked.

Mary looked at her with an odd expression, seeming to debate whether or not she should say something, before reaching a conclusion and speaking. “Dear, are you sure you were a mercenary?”

Freya’s brow furrowed as she reeled in another fish. “What do you mean by that?”

“It's just.” Mary struggled to find the right words. “Your appearance.”

On reflex Freya's hand moved to touch her ear. “What about it?” She asked. The fish dangled from the line, forgotten.

Mary looked even more hesitant to speak now. Yet slowly she continued. “I've only seen it in one other place...”

They were interrupted by the sound of metal hitting the pier. The two women turned to see what was wrong. Fredrick had dropped the tools he was carrying. His fist were clenched, and a mixture of anger and fear played across his face. Freya followed his gaze until she laid eyes on what was troubling him. A group of armed men were approaching from the forest, wielding iron weapons and loose fitting armor.

“Bandits.” Freya whispered. The two women stood up and rushed to Fredrick’s side.

“David go hide.” Mary said to the frightened boy.

“But mama.” The boy protested

“I said go!” Mary said firmly.

The boy swiftly scurried away and hid behind some of the boxes. The bandits moved to surround the family as their leader addressed them.

“Why hello there.” The tall burly man said in a mockingly friendly voice. “You see me and my boys here made camp nearby, and we happen to be running low on food. So we were hoping some good goddess loving folk such as yourselves could lend us some of your fine fish.”

“We can’t.” Mary spoke up. “We barely have enough in stock to pay our taxes.”

Freya knew that she should be angry. But instead she felt an unearthly calm wash over her. Every muscle in her body tightened. Her eyes scanned the crowd of bandits. There were ten of them. All poorly equipped except for the leader, who was sporting a silver sword. Whether he knew how to use it, she couldn’t tell.

“Well that's too bad. You see we don’t care what you think you need. I…” He was cut off by one of his men whispering into his ear and handing him a sheet of paper. He read the paper before locking eyes on Freya and smiling.

“Well looky here. It seems that it's our lucky day. There's a price on your head little lady.” He said.

Freya’s eyes widened slightly in shock. ‘What?’ She thought. ‘What could I be wanted for?

The man let out a bellowing laugh before ordering his men. “I want the girl alive! Do what you will with the rest!”

The men closed in around them. Faces sneering and weapons raised. Mary and Fredrick backed away. Fredrick had produced a set of iron gauntlets and Mary had magic swirling around her hands, but they both looked fearful. Freya on the other hand was a statue. She didn’t flinch as she stared down the approaching bandits. A few of them faltered, unsure of what to think of the fearless woman before them. One of the men came within striking range, axe raised to beat her with the blunt end.

The axe never came down.

In an instant, the man let out a sickening gurgle. He pawed uselessly at the new opening in his neck before collapsing. As soon as the man fell, another man screamed as a dagger buried itself in his shoulder.

"You bi…". He was cut off by a streak of emerald and steel. The fallen man's axe buried itself into his shoulder. Cleaving through armor and flesh with ease as it carved a path through his torso, and out the other side.

Freya felt nothing as the two halves of the bandit fell uselessly to the ground. The other bandits recoiled in surprise, but she barely noticed. Without skipping a beat, she was upon the next man. He raised his lance to block her strike, but she cleaved straight through the shaft, burying the blade in his neck.

“Surround her, quickly!” The leader yelled, fear evident in his voice.

The remaining men rushed her. But Freya wasn’t concerned in the slightest. She uttered strange words and pointed her free hand at the ground. Energy surged from her fingertips, cracking the ground around her and summoning lava from the earth below. Four of the bandits are incinerated by the spell. Flesh and bone reduced to ash in an instant. One more was only barely caught in the blast. The man fell backwards, screaming at the top of his lungs as he pawed at the charred stump that was once his leg. Freya raised her hand. Arcane runes swirled around her as she called down a bolt of lightning to finish off the fallen bandit. A loud crack echoed across the battlefield, followed by silence.

Freya took a moment to survey the field. The ground was smoldering and the air reeked of burnt flesh. The two remaining bandits were backing away, terror evident in their eyes.

The leader shouted to his last remaining subordinate. “Go find the kid! We can use him as a hostage!”

The man nodded shakily before turning towards the pier. He only made it a few steps before a wind spell blew him apart.

Mary stood at the end of the pier. Her expression was fierce but her hand was trembling as a magical wind whirled around it.

The bandit leader’s face twisted in rage. “You bitches killed my boys!” He bellowed. “But your tricks won’t work on me!”

As he said this, the bandit produced a vial of glowing liquid, and dumped the contents onto himself.

“Pure water.” Freya muttered as she readied her axe.

The bandit wore a psychotic grin as he readied his blade, and charged straight for Mary.

‘No’ Freya thought as she ran to intercept him. The bandit was fast. Mary hardly had enough time to launch another wind spell. Which landed square in his chest, cutting him, but not slowing him down in the slightest. In an instant, he closed the distance, and slashed Mary across her chest.

“No!” Freya yelled as Mary screamed in pain and collapsed. She sprinted after the bandit but he was already upon Fredrick, breaking through his guard and shoving him into the river. He continued his mad sprint down the pier. Freya’s heart sank when she saw his target. The boy, David, was peeking out from behind a crate. He was frozen in fear as the madman reached his hiding place. The bandit picked up David by his collar and held a sword to his throat. In an instant, something shifted, and Freya’s ice cold demeanor shattered. In its place came an all consuming rage. Her eyes began to glow as power welled up from within her.

“DON’T YOU DARE HURT HIM!!!” She screamed, her voice undercut by a draconic roar. Causing the bandit to freeze.

“Don’t come any closer or I’ll gut this little shit!” He yelled, backing away slowly.

This only seemed to make her angrier. Roaring in rage as she released the power within her. A blinding light erupted from Freya, and she disappeared.

“What?” The bandit screamed, dropping David in his confusion. “Where the hell did you go?”

Freya gave him his answer when she appeared behind him. And brought down her axe. The blade collided with the bandit’s shoulder plate. The dulled blade failed to penetrate his armor, but she could hear an audible crack as the bone broke underneath. The bandit screamed as he collapsed to the ground. Freya towered over the defeated man as he scrambled backwards. The mad fury in his eyes was replaced with a look of sheer terror. A strange feeling shot through her, as she looked at the shaking form of the terrified young man. ‘Pity’, she thinks. This man must be in his early 20s. What could have led him down such a destructive path?

‘Wait, why am I thinking this? He’s just a bandit, and one who tried to hurt this family. He needs to be put down.’

‘But maybe he could be saved. Why do I need to take another life?’

‘I never cared before. Why do I care now’

Sothis would never take a life

Byleth would have slain him already

“No! Stop! Not again!” Freya yelled, but was answered only by an echo.

She was no longer on the pier, but on the stone platform. The storm had returned, raging all around her. Two fronts collide above the platform. One emerald green and the other a deep navy blue. Voices called out from all sides. They tried to show her memories, shoving images and emotions into her mind. A classroom full of faceless children, a small dragon learning to fly. A white haired woman, blushing furiously as Freya handed her flowers.

“No no no no.” Freya whimpered as she grabbed her head and closed her eyes.

The storm intensified. Reducing the memories to gibberish as the voices screamed at her.

Byleth

Sothis

Byleth

Sothis

Freya

Freya gasped as she opened her eyes. She felt a new presence in the storm. It called out to her. Giving her something to focus on. She closed her eyes and focused on it. Blocking out the memories until they slowly began to fade. When Freya opened her eyes, the storm had receded. But the presence still remained. It was floating atop the shattered remains of the throne. Its form was dark and nebulous, seeming to shift underneath her gaze. It called out to her, trying to draw her closer. Freya stood and climbed the steps of the throne room until she was standing before it. It felt strange and alien, yet despite this, she felt at ease. This strange thing chased away the malstrom within her, and for that she was grateful.

It called out to her again, and she reached out for it.

The darkness engulfed her. It chased away the remaining whispers. And filled her with a new sense of certainty.

“Freya. My name is Freya.” She reminded herself.

And in an instant, she was on the pier again, looming over the bandit.

“What the fuck? Where am I” Freya asked.

The bandit looked absolutely bewildered. “Where are you? Is that some kind of fucking joke?”

Freya stifled a laugh. “I don’t know, Maybe? I don’t seem to remember...” Freya stopped before taking a good look at the bandit. After what seemed like an eternity, realization flashed across her face.

“Oh, that's right. You tried to hurt a child” Freya said, her expression turning sinister.

The bandit panicked at Freya’s sudden change in demeanor. Standing up and trying to run. He only made it a few steps before he saw another flash of emerald light. Suddenly, Freya was in front of him, shoving him to the ground.

“W-what? How?” The bandit asked.

Freya looked at the pathetic man cowering before her, and smiled. It was an unhinged, sadistic smile.

“I have no fucking idea."

She raised her hand, and called on something new that lurked within her. Her eyes began to glow a deep purple as darkness coalesced around her hand. The magic was angry, and it was hungry. Tears flowed down her cheeks yet her smile only grew as tendrils of darkness lashed out. The man tried to jump into the river, but it was too late. His screams echoed across the river as the dark magic reduced him to nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> I'm very new to writing so all criticism is welcome.


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